Havana
by Goldringteal
Summary: While traveling for a dangerous mission, Hermione finds herself holed up in a Den of Snakes. Will she be able to resist one particularly persistent serpent snaking his way into her heart? Rating for language and adult activities in later chapters. [ON HIATUS, I had a baby and he’s eating into my writing time]
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I'm excited to present my first fanfic in ages! Thank you so much for taking the time to read it, I'm beyond excited to be back in this community and writing about two of my favorite characters of all time. Please feel free to give me any constructive criticism in the reviews, you readers and fellow writers are what inspired me to try my hand at this once again. As always, I don't own Harry Potter or any of it's amazing characters, however much I wish I did. Happy reading!

"This weather's gonna be hell on my hair"

Stepping away from her International Portkey a distinctly frazzled Hermione Granger groaned and straightened her clothes as she looked around and got her bearings. She was standing on a deserted street corner in the depths of Havana, Cuba, the heat and humidity clinging to her and winding its way along her exposed skin into her already riotous curls. Eyes the color of rich cuban coffee took in the landscape around her, noting the deepening shadows between colorful facades as night began to fall.

She needed to get moving, find her command center and get out of this blasted heat. Ducking inside a dilapidated doorway she rummaged in her small sequined bag for a moment before pulling out what looked like a well read guide book. Flipping through the pages, she found what she was looking for and quickly stashed the book away before unholstering her wand and muttering a quick four-point spell. She watched as her wand pointed North before once again concealing it into the custom wrist holster Harry had gotten her for Christmas a couple of years before. Turning on the spot she ducked back out into the dimly lit street, moving with the shadows until she emerged into a blaze of color and light. In front of her was her destination, a magnificent three story green building bordering a beautiful cobblestone square that was to be her home base for however long she needed to complete her mission. The square was bustling with people enthralled by the newly fallen nights energy, yet no one seemed to notice Hermione as she slipped into the grand silver and white door adorning the front of her safe house. In fact, no one seemed to notice the house at all. As she was swallowed into the comfortable yet stately front hall, Hermione thanked the gods she had been able to convince her boss that she deserved at least one mission where she could set up camp in someplace that wasn't an actual camp. She'd had enough time in tents to last her several lifetimes over.

"Hola, bienvenido a la guarida de las serpientes! How may I help you Miss?" a voice rang out and Hermione turned, momentarily taken aback by the the name of her accommodations. Although her inner lion recoiled at the thought of staying anywhere tainted by the stink of serpents, she had to admit this "Den of Snakes" was much more inviting than she had imagined.

"Buena noches! My name is Emily, I believe I have a reservation here for the next two weeks."

"Ah, let me check Miss. Emily Cordova is it?"

"Si! Thats me!" She chirped, inwardly cringing at her assigned name and wishing for the thousandth time that "Hermione Granger" hadn't become such a household name over the years. She could never give her real name on these missions without alerting someone to her presence in town and possibly blowing the whole thing before it even started. Such was the struggle of a war hero with a real job. The man behind the counter smiled and nodded, going over a few things on his parchment before waving over another handsome and smiling young man in a bellhop uniform. Her lips tugged up in approval as he turned, her eyes raking the well fitted white linen covering his toned backside. She could get used to missions like this.

The young man led her to an ornate gilded lift and waited patiently as she slid in after him before pressing one of the many buttons adorning the wall. Apparently the building was a lot larger on the inside than what it appeared, and she could see that it actually had six floors, not the three that she had initially thought. Her room was on the 5th floor, great for views but not so great for escape routes in case something went wrong.

"Is this is only way to get up to my room?" she asked her companion, her spanish was lilting but passable and he smiled at the effort.

"Si, Miss Cordova. The lift is spelled to take you directly into your room if you so wish." he replied in perfectly accented English. She shot him a questioning look and he chuckled.

"Many of our clientele value their privacy over everything, so we have a special entrance that leads straight into the lift and once we lift the wards on the room each of these buttons corresponds to a particular suite. If you'd like me to arrange for that I most certainly can."

"No, no thank you. Although I was curious about apparition points within the hotel. Is it possible to apparate within the building itself or do I have to make my way to a designated spot?" He must have been used to questions like these as he showed no signs of suspicion as he smoothly answered her while stepping aside as the lift gates opened.

"We do put up anti-apparition wards in all of our suites, however if you'd like I can speak to the manager and ask that yours are taken down for the duration of your stay. We have them in place for the safety of our patrons. No one wants to come home after a night out on the town and find themselves splinched and alone in a room." his chuckle was darker this time and Hermione wondered just how many times that had happened for them to enforce designated apparition points.

"Oh I won't have to worry about that! I don't plan on partying too much while I'm here. I'm more of a read on the beach kind of girl."

The bellhop smiled and nodded, stepping out and motioned her to follow him down a deceptively long hallway decorated with beautiful golden sconces that gave it a familiar and warm glow. When they reached room 512, he stopped and rummaged in his pocket for a moment, withdrawing an small key and unlocked her door before stepping aside and letting her get her first view of the room. It was breathtaking, the kind of place that put all other hotels in their place and made a woman swear off cheap motels forever. She turned back to the bellhop and he smiled at the awe on her face.

"Enjoy your stay señora, if you need anything at all please don't hesitate to summon me. I am at your beck and call." and with that he placed the small key in her hands, lingering for a moment over the contact of their fingers against one another. She blushed and nodded, slipping her fingers away from his and rummaging in her bag for a galleon to place in his outstretched hand. He graciously accepted and backed away with a little bow, leaving her to explore her sanctuary and command center for the week.

Decorative tiles led her down a short hallway and into a massive apartment bordered on all sides by floor to ceiling windows that showcased the glittering lights of the city. She set her bag down on the beautiful marble island that seperated a small but luxurious kitchen from the plush living area and took out her wand. First things first, she needed to beef up security. She began to weave ward after ward, security spell after security spell until she could feel her magic reverberating around the room ready to fight off anyone who dared try and intrude on her investigation. Her next step was to go over the details of her case once again before she set out tomorrow. Sinking into the plush teal velvet of her living room couch she pulled her tattered guidebook out of her bag once more and cast a wordless charm on it, watching as pages of notes began to extricate themselves from the binding, decoding as they went. According to her sources someone had recovered and was beginning to use the fabled Esmeralda de las Bestias. The artifact was one of tremendous power, allowing the owner to wield control over any and all magical creatures they came in contact with. It was rumored to have been created by the old gods, allowing them to tame and live in harmony with the mighty creatures that roamed the ancient jungles. It had been missing for centuries, its last known location being in Colombia before being spirited away by enterprising privateers in the 1600's. Her boss at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures had pulled her into his office not 8 hours before, explaining that he had reliable information confirming the Emerald was in Cuba, buried for hundreds of years in a small, heavily warded cave in the Sierra Maestra mountain range. It had been recovered by a group of wizards calling themselves "Los Maestros", or "The Masters". Hermione was to locate and retrieve the artifact as soon as possible in order to subvert the growing slave trade of sentient magical creatures throughout the Americas, which was slowly but surely spreading to England and across the globe despite her best efforts. How wizarding kind could partake in such an abominable practice, especially after the great war, was beyond her. Yet here she was, exhausted and disheveled, ready to take on the evils of the world once again.

"I need a fuckin' drink." she murmered, fighting the sickening sense of righteous anger that threatened to overcome her. She rose from the couch and moved towards the heavy wooden door of her bedroom, kicking off her shoes as she went. The door swung open of its own accord and she sucked in her breath as her eyes fell on the most beautiful bedroom she'd ever seen. A massive bed with the an intricately carved headboard sat against the far wall, a gauzy canopy falling around it and swaying gently in an unseen breeze. Decorative tiles adorned the far wall, drawing her eyes up to the ceiling where two modern glass light fixtures gave off a warm glow that enveloped her in a sense of well being. On one wall there was a row of windows bordered on either side with light aqua shutters that ran their length from floor to ceiling. On the other wall there were two large glass french doors that opened into a bathroom fit for royalty. A huge marble tub sat in the middle of the room, practically begging her to strip and sink into its depths right then and there.

"Fuck the mission, I'm tempted to hole up in this room alone and stay forever."

Sighing, she turned back to the bed and with a casual flick of her wand her beaded bag came soaring in, landing gracefully on her bed. Within a moment, her clothes were unshrunk and ready to be put away. She'd packed a multitude of sensible outfits seeing as how she planned on spending most of her time trekking around mountains and through jungles in search of the Emerald, but Hermione wasn't going to be sensible tonight. The luxury of her apartment had her craving at least one night of mindless relaxation before going off on her mission. She deserved that much she though as she picked up a slinky black number and shrugged off her travel clothes. Casting a quick scourgify over herself, she slipped into her dress and attempted to do something with her hair. With age, she had accepted it in all it's chaos and even learned to embrace it when it was out of control the way it was now. The heat is was causing was a whole different story though, she practically had her own climate when it was down. She quickly twisted it up into a messy bun on the top of her hair, trying and failing to keep everything in one place. Strands of her chestnut locks slipped from her grip and she ended up just giving up, allowing them to frame her face while she pinned the rest of her mass in place with magic and a well placed silk ribbon. A quick touch up to her mascara, a charmed smoky eye (courtesy of her friend Parvati Patil) and a swipe of tinted gloss and she was on her way out the door, determined to have herself some fun before stepping up to save the world again.

A/N: So there we have it, my first chapter in almost 10 years. Go ahead and hit that lovely little review button, you know you want to 3


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank y'all so much for your support on this fic so far! I've been working on this chapter for a little while and I'm excited to finally be introducing the second half of our favorite duo. As always please feel free to leave me a lovely little little review with your thoughts and constructive criticism.

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, things would have been vastly different. Unfortunately (or more probably fortunately) I don't own anything. It's J.K's world and we're all just playing in it.

* * *

The hotel bar was _packed_. Hermione took a deep breath, inhaling the sweetly acrid scent of burning cigars and humanity. Everywhere she looked witches and wizards were sprawled across deep leather couches or lounging in tall wooden chairs around bar tables. As she made her way through the crowded room she caught the eye of more than a few handsomely tanned men and women who smiled and lifted their drinks towards her in a silent invitation to join them. It was an empowering feeling being noticed for more than just her exploits in the war or her most recent stint in the gossip pages of _The Prophet_. She felt a sense of freedom that she hadn't felt in a long while being here in a foreign country all on her own, without anything to distract her from her mission and her own burgeoning sense of independence.

Sidling up to the bar her managed to snag a seat close to the open patio doors. She leaned forward and caught the eye of one of the impeccably dressed bartenders and he made his way over to her, a sultry grin gracing his chiseled features. How was everyone is this country so goddamn beautiful? Leaning over the bar, she brought her lips close to his ear and breathed out her order.

"I'll have whatever you're having. And I like it strong."

He grinned, perfect white teeth glinting in the warm glow of the bar and nodded before turning towards the massive wall of liquor, pulling bottles of tequila and rum down and shooting a look over his shoulder at her before beginning an impressive show of pouring and mixing her drink.

"I'd be careful if I were you," a voice at her side drawled. "Looks like that can get you in trouble little lion." Hermione whipped around, ready to strike at the unknown voice before realizing that it wasn't unknown. Far from it. Standing mere inches away, in all his platinum blonde insufferably smug glory was the last person she thought she'd see again. Draco _Sodding _Malfoy.

* * *

The second she'd entered his bar he'd seen her. He'd _felt _her. Grey eyes tracked her every move as she sauntered through the room, attracting more attention than she knew what to do with. It was no wonder, dressed the way she was. In all the years he'd known her, he'd never seen her look like this. Of course it had been five years since they'd last interacted and back then they had both been gaunt, haunted; just empty shells of their former selves. This woman at his bar was far from an empty shell now. His eyes raked her exposed back, taking in the way her muscles rippled and her skirt rode up just a little too high as she leaned over the bar to catch Sebastián's eye and whisper something in his ear. What could she possibly be doing here in Havana? Did she come to find him? As the thought occurred Draco barked out a laugh at its absurdity. He knew she worked at the ministry, but he'd been cleared of all charges. No, she must be here for some other reason. Perhaps she needed a break from the disappointing monotony of the Weasel? Rising from his private booth he silently stalked his way towards her, determined to find out what she was doing here disturbing his carefully cultivated peace. Maybe if he was lucky he could make her squirm, a pastime he didn't realise he missed until now. As he approached, the predatory gleam in his eye hardening when his bartender began his show. He knew this song and dance, he'd seen it countless times with tourists and locals alike and there was no way he'd let this little lion be taken in by any of the snakes that worked for him. Not until he found out what she was here for at least. Draco advanced on her, coming close enough to feel the heat coming from her body and catch a whiff of something both floral and spicy coming from her skin. He caught sight of her face in the mirror above the bar, taking in the rapturous look in her deep brown eyes, the upturn of her full lips, the flush of her round cheeks. She looked damn good for a...well he didn't say that word anymore, even if she was a muggleborn.

"I'd be careful if I were you," he said, watching her stiffen and allowing the trademark Malfoy smirk slide firmly into place. "Looks like that can get you in trouble little lion."

She snapped around in her seat, her hand already on her wand when she realized who was speaking to her. The look on her face was priceless, shock and indignation fighting for dominance across her features.

"What are you doing here?" she spat, the ire in her voice coming through perfectly clear.

"Now now, is that any way to greet an old schoolmate? Of all the places in the world you could have stumbled into, you chose _my _bar. Just my luck that the one place I thought would be safe from bloody Gryffindors attracts the golden queen herself."

"Just my luck that the ONE time I'm able to get away and enjoy myself, you'd be the vile serpent this den belongs to. I've been enjoying your complete and utter erasure from my world Malfoy, do be a dear and keep it that way." and with that Hermione turned away, determined not to let him ruin her night, her stay or her mission.

A short breath of amusement escaped his lips and he gracefully sank onto the seat next to hers. He wasn't going to let her dismiss him so easily. No, he was looking forward to getting under that delightfully tan skin and provoking the witch beside him, into what he didn't quite know.

Draco gestured to Sebastián, signaling that he'd have another Casa Dragones neat and to bring one for his guest. "It's _my_ bar darling, and I won't have you ruining what was shaping up to be a lovely night with that nasty attitude of yours. Do be a dear and get your head out of your arse and maybe you'll see that I come in peace this time." Huffing, Hermione turned around to see a glass poured heavy with what she was sure was expensive tequila held up in offering by sincere, if slightly amused looking Malfoy. As she made to take the glass from him he pulled it back, causing her to lean towards him inadvertently and press her hands against his chest in an effort to steady herself.

"Ah ah ah little lion. This is a peace offering, but being that I'm still a Slytherin through and through, I'll need an assurance from you before you get to enjoy it. I need you to promise me you'll hear me out. Enjoy one night with me Granger, drink with me and let me show you that all snakes aren't as bad as you think we are."

He held her gaze as he spoke, allowing for one brief moment his eyes to betray a vulnerability she'd not seen before. He'd known the moment he'd seen her again that he couldn't let this opportunity go. She was everything he needed to confront, everything he had fled from in his old life. Since leaving England he'd managed to drown himself in work, women and liquor and avoid any semblance of serious self-realization. He'd taken himself from the ashes and molded something he was finally proud of, yet there was still that nagging hesitation in the back of his mind preventing him from forgiving himself fully. Some constant shame that stopped him just short of accepting his new nature, his success, his happiness. The moment he'd seen Hermione fucking Granger walk into his bar he knew she was the answer. He'd been nothing but horrible to her, always the foul, loathsome evil little cockroach she'd once accused him of being. Now, drink in hand, he was ready to make amends to both her and himself.

Hermione considered Malfoy's offer with trepidation. She definitely wasn't ready to trust him, but she was moving on in all aspects of her life so why not give this one a try too? She withdrew her hand from his chest and wrapped her fingers gently around the glass, tugging it from his grasp while giving a slight nod of agreement. She'd give him this one night, one night to say his piece, get out whatever he needed to get off his chest, and then she'd be free to finish her mission in peace. She'd long ago forgiven Malfoy, though that didn't mean she liked him. Yet it could be good to have the owner of her lodgings on her side and despite what she knew about him he seemed changed in some way. He didn't even flinch when she her hands had made contact with his chest. In fact she thought she'd seen a flash of something in those steel grey eyes that sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.

Raising the glass to her lips she paused and locked eyes with him once more, pausing as she saw his eyes flick almost imperceptibly down to her lips and back up.

"To us then. I suppose I can handle your presence for just one night."

"I'm sure you're more than capable of handling me very well for the night, Granger." his smirk deepened as her eyebrows shot up and she almost choked on her drink.

"Careful now love, that's a very expensive mouthful you're dribbling down your chin." She glared at him as she dabbed a napkin delicately to her lips.

"And here I thought we were actually going to be civil. I know its not in your nature Malfoy but I did give you the opportunity to actually show me you're even remotely pleasant. So far you're failing miserably."

His shoulders shook with silent laughter as she angrily snatched her glass up from the bar and took a sip much more carefully. The smooth liquid lit up her taste buds with vanilla and spice, trailing warmth down her body as it settled peacefully in her stomach. Settling down from his bout of amusement, Malfoy watched as her body relaxed, enjoying the view of the delectable woman savoring something he had offered her.

"Do forgive me, I just forget how easy you are to rile up. That look on your face is too much to resist sometimes. I'll do my best to desist for the time being."

She rolled her eyes, forgetting for a moment how difficult he was and letting his voice and the tequila soothe her nerves. His eyes continued to stay fixed on her, sipping his own drink as he took in every slight movement she made. Teasing her was fun, but he needed to know why she was here.

"So Granger. It's been a long time. What brings you to my neck of the woods? I would have thought you'd be ensconced in a burrow of your own somewhere with a tribe of red headed hooligans keeping you busy."

She stiffened slightly. She obviously couldn't disclose her mission, but he'd come uncomfortably close to her secondary reason for leaving England so readily. She sighed, downing the rest of her drink and willing herself not to lose her composure in front of this man.

"You haven't been reading the papers I see. Ron and I...well let's just say there will be no red headed hooligans in my future. We broke up. Quite recently actually, and quite spectacularly." her voice shook and she looked away. She'd loved Ron with all her heart, yet every time she thought about their future together she was thrown into a state of panic. He'd been hinting heavily that he was ready to settle down, always showing her listing of big houses in the country, telling her how lovely it would be to have room for the kids. Their sex life consisted of him rutting away and whispering how this time was going to make a baby, he knew it. She almost gagged at the thought. Children had become an obsession for him and while Hermione wasn't ready to dismiss the thought entirely, she had so much more to do in life before that step. She needed fire and passion and spontaneity. Her entire life had been about making it out alive and now that she was here she didn't want to confine her life to something less than living to the fullest. Giving herself a little shake back to reality, she looked back at Malfoy, surprised to see the look on his face. He seemed almost...understanding? That better not be sympathy she saw in his eyes. A flick of his wrist and her glass filled back up on it's own, Hermione taking a grateful swig and continuing with slightly more confidence.

"He took me out about a week ago, got reservations to the nicest place in Diagon and surprised me with flowers, wine, the whole shebang. I knew it was coming and I tried to my best to discourage him but he wasn't listening to me. He never really listened to me when it came to us. Anyways, half way through our dessert course he stood up and made a speech. A fucking _speech_ Malfoy! He announced to the whole restaurant how grateful we were to have each other, how he couldn't even imagine life without me, how much we were looking forward to the next steps of our relationship, blah blah blah. He hadn't even asked me yet! And then oh my god, all our friends starting coming out of the woodwork, there were fucking photographers, it was everything I had never wanted. He got down on one knee and when he finally actually asked me I just...I choked. I couldn't do it. So I ran away. Ran and ran and ran until I ended up here, sitting in your bar. Some lion I am."

Malfoy listened incredulously, unable to truly believe what he was hearing. She finished and glanced up at him, a mixture of shyness and combativeness shining on her face. He had the sudden urge to take that face in his hands and stroke away the sadness yet he refrained, settling instead for filling up her glass again and smiling one of his few genuine smiles at her.

"I always knew The Weasel would blow it. How he could ever think a woman like you would settle is beyond me. In my opinion you're much better off here at my bar than sulking away with what was undoubtedly pitifully plain ring on your finger. You deserve to live Granger. After everything we've been through, everything you and that bloody group of heroes went through, you deserve to live."

He raised his glass, daring her to disagree. To his immense surprise and pleasure, she raised her glass to meet his, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"Who knew that living would include drinking the night away with the most dashing and dangerous Slytherin of the day?" she said before downing her glass once more and shooting him a distinctly sultry and un-Hermione-esque look. Draco followed her lead, unable to resist the allure of her unexpected openness.

"Ah, so you already admit to finding me dashing then?"

She rolled her eyes and smacked him lightly on the arm. The contact shot lightnight bolts through both of them, and her eyes widened as he caught her wrist and tugged her closer.

"Running here might have been the best decision you could have made little lion. I'm more than willing to show you living _really _means. You promised me one night, let me make the most of it, Hermione."

* * *

A/N: And there it is folx, chapter 2! I know it ends on a cliff hanger but it was getting long and honestly the next chapter is pretty much gonna be a lemonade stand. Please feel free to press that lovely little review button, you know you want to! Love you all like crazy, thank you for taking the time to give this story a chance!


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